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Charges of selling synthetic marijuana dismissed

ASHEBORO — Charges against four of the six owners and clerks at three convenience stores who were charged last August with selling synthetic cannabinoids have been voluntarily dismissed.

Odell Graham, owner of Ready Mart on Salisbury Street in Asheboro;his two employees, son, Nicholas, and employee Randall Meadows; and Michael Todd Ashley of Randleman, who was employed at Midtown Package store on North Fayetteville Street, Asheboro, have all had their charges of possession and sale of synthetic cannabinoids voluntarily dismissed.

Odell Graham said he and Nicholas had their charges dismissed on July 25.

Charges against Meadows and Ashley were dismissed on Feb. 21, 2014.

Odell Graham said Tuesday that his attorney is in the process of having the charges expunged from his record.

Graham said he was not aware that the synthetic cannabinoids for sale in his stores had been re-classified as controlled substances. He had sold the items for several years, kept the necessary records and paid taxes on them.

The law, House Bill 213, had become effective July 1, 2013, and the owners and clerks were charged the first week in August. At the time, Asheboro Police said store owners had been informed of the effective date of the law.

Graham said that was all water under the bridge now. The incident, including bails and attorney fees, cost about $5,000 for him and his employees and he stepped down from the N.C. Lottery Board for a year to get through the issues.

Graham owns five Ready Mart convenience stores, three in Asheboro, one in Randleman and one in Biscoe.

“I have strived to keep my business going and to maintain the trust of my customers,” Graham said.

According to court records, Samuel Bullins, who worked at Midtown Package, has a court appearance on the same charges on Aug. 22, 2014. Manoj Dhankhad, owner of U.S. Gas and Food on South Fayetteville Street, Asheboro, has a court appearance on Aug. 26.